Dirigible motor-vehicle headlight.



R. E.. EHRGUTT. mmlaL MoToR VEHicLE HEAQLIGHT.

APPLICATIR FRED 00L 2, |917.

Patented May 28,1918.

t tion.

ROBERTS E. EHRGOTT, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DIRIGIBLE MOTDE-VEIHICLE HEADLIGHT.

Speclllcatiun of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

Application tiled October 2, 1917. Serial No. 194,339.

To all fut/tom` it may fonfrrn:

Be it known that l, llomzn'rs E. Ennoo'rr, a citizen of the llnited States, residing at. Chirago, in thtl county of Cook and State ot Illinois, have invented new and nset'nl Improvements in 'lirigihle l.\otor-Vehicle Headlights, of which the following is a spetai litat ion.

This invention relates to headlights for motor whit-les whirh are dirigible. to follow tnrnh` or carros in the road alongr which the i'thith ina)Y he traveling7 the headlights heinelr provided with a -Support in which they are free to tni'n sidewisv, and a connection being provided hetween the headlights and tht` stm-ring nlerhanism ol` the rar, so arranged that wht-n said mechanism moves to steer tho rar around a rnrve, ont-` of the hoadlighte` turnel to throw a beam of light sidtwise to light np the road ahead, the other headlight remainingr stationary to diret-t its beams straight ahead.

'lho invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient. headlight controlling' nuanr; ol' the kind stated, and to this und thtl invention consists in a novel combi nation and arrangement of parts to he hereinai'tor drncrihed and claimed.

In ordr-r that the invention may he better understood, reference is had to the arcoinv padring drawing forming a part of this apvritiratioin and in said drawing,

Figure l is a` plan View showing the appliration ol' thtinvention;

Fig'. 2 is a .sectional detail of a lamp sul port and Fig. 3 an elevation, part!)l in onction. of the lanip turning mechanitm.

,Referring s|wtfifioally to the drawing 5 denotes the l'ronlaxle of a motor vehicle Carrying the usual pivoted spindles (l at its ends. which latter have outstanding arms 7 manet-.ted hy a rod S. To one, of the spindle arms 7 is connected a rod 9 having a suit-able connect ion with the Steering gear of the ear. When the steering' gear connecting rod 9 is operated7 hotli spindles 6 are. turned sinniltanoonsly through the spindle connecting rod 8. This is a well-known form of steer ing nwrhanisin. and a further description thereof is not deemed necessary, especially as it'l formal no part; of thepreaent inven- The rod 8 has a movement in the direction of its length, parallel to they axle. 5, and it. also moves laterally of the axle or towaid and from the same when it is operated to swing the spindles 6.

Each headlight l() of the car is carried by a fork 11 having a depending stent 12 which is rotatably supported in a tnhnlar standard 13 supported on and fastened to any convenient; portion 1.4 of the chassis. The stein 12 project4 troni the upper end of the standard and it is here enlarged in diameter and formed with a stop or shoulder 1.5 which is opposite a similar step lton the top ot' they standard. Vt'hen the headlight is in straight-ahead position, these shoulders ahnt. spring; li' ia coiled around and vonnerlwl to thty att-nt 1L'. in Hin-h a manner that. it; turn` the latter to a position where the two shonlderg ahnt, and the headlight is therefore normally held in .wtraighhahvad position. The stein l2 is fret to tnrn in a direction to separate the shoulders, and when it is thub` turned, thtl brani ot light; is cast Sirlewise.

0n the respective lamp Steins l2, at; the lower end thereof, are mounted and made fast pinions 18 which are in mesh with pinions 19 on one end of flexible shaftaA 20 having bevel pinons 2l on their other ends. lt. will therefore he seen that when tho A hal`ts 2U are operated, 'the lamp atenta lf2 are rotated to tnrn the headlights il), The shafts il!) are Supported on the frame lt hy hrackets 252, and 'the axle 5 also rari-iov. snitahle Supports 23 for that. enti ol tho shaft warnining the pinion 2l.

0n the rapintllo ronnot'ting; rod H ali fan-- ttnt'tl two rari( hara` Ll whit-h are in 'north with piniona ',f' l'a =t on `:hol-t ahatita Lt Cal"- riod lily tin` sopportaA 22. (')n tln shafts .l't'i are also fast here-l piniom 2i' which are in mush. respt-t-tiwly, with the pinionh4 21. Thin: it will he seen that one ot' thtracks 24 operates one ol' thtl lamp ,ations 1L. and the other rat-lc opt-rater# the other lamp stent.

As Stated lwr'einheforo. the longitnrflinal movement of' the spindle t'onnrrting rod 8 also involves a forward or rearward niovement thereof. and for this reason the toothed portions ot' the varita J4 are t'nrved to remain in mesh with the pinions hn-ing the entil'tl stroke of tht` rod. Howevern when the rod Fl ia moved in one 'ln'm'tioin a rank Corresponding to tho headlight to im turned engages its pinion 2li, rank movinI away from its pinion 2li; and vine versa. The molta ary .w )ositlioned that the headlight; on thv enter side of the enrve is turned Whereas the headlight on the insida of the curve remains stationary, castwht-.retta tinl other a heam of light straight ahead. W'hen the ear is again traveling straight ahead, the headlight, which was turned is swung baek to its normal position hy the spring 17 until it is stopped by the shoulders l5 and 16, iti being understood that the spring was tensioned when the lam) stem 1Q was rotaitzed to turn the headlight.

The operation hereinhet'ore deseribed is entirely automatic, and it is also ieliahle as the mechanism is devoid ot' eomplieated mrts liable to get out of order. The drawmg Shows the gearing arranged to swing the headlights parallel to the t'ront wheels of the ear, hut this is not neressary and the relative angular movement may he varied as desired.

l claim:4

1 The eomhination with the headlights and the spindle eonneeting l'od of a motor vehiele; ol'l rotatable stems earl-.ving the, headlights. raelts on the spindle eonnevting rod, and pinions in mesh with the raeks and having driving oonneetions with the respeetive Stems, said raelts alternately eoining out of mesh with the pinions' when the. siindle, eonneeting rod is moved in opposlte directions,

2. The (tomhination with the headlightsand the spindle eonneeting rod of a motor ing vehiele; of rotatahle stems eartying tho headlights, raeks on the spindle eonneeting rod, pinions in mesh with the raeks and having driving eonneetions with the respel tive stems. said raeks alternately eoining out` ot mesh with the pinions when theI spindle eonneet'ing l'od is moved in opposite direi-tions` supports t'or the stems` and eoriperating stops on the supports and on the, stems, said stops abutting when the headlights are in straight-:diend position.

ii. The eonihinalion with the headlights and thel spindle eonnevting rod oi' a motor vehiele; ol' rotatahle stems earrying 'the headlights. raehs on the spindle eonneeting rod. pinions in mesh with the raeks and having driving eonneetions with the respeetive lstems`r said raelts alternately coming out ot' mesh with the pinions when the spindle eonneeting rod is moved in opposite direetions` supports fol' the stems` eoperatA ing stops on the srrpports and on the stems` said stems ahutting when the headlights are in stl."aiglital1ead position. and resilient means opposing the turning movement ot` the stems in a direet'ion to earry the head lights out oi' Said position.

1n testimony whereof l atiix my `signature, 

